Cermak Paramedics Tell Commissioners About Staffing Shortages

Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings
Cook County Health & Hospitals and Labor 
January 23, 2024

Health & Hospitals Committee
Public comments:

• Two ERT (Emergency Response Technicians, which the speaker said was equivalent to paramedics) from Cermak Hospital addressed the Committee to alert Commissioners about the staffing shortages for the ERT and CMT (Correctional Medical Technicians) at Cermak, which provides medical services for those working and staying at the Cook County Jail.  The speakers also said that they are not being allowed to perform the full scope of services their licenses would allow.
• Commissioners asked the speakers several questions, along with the COO of Cermak, who is to provide the number of vacancies in each position to the Committee.  He said that CCH (Cook County Health) is actively recruiting people for those positions.

Quarterly update on status of infectious diseases (Item 23-3815):

• Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck, COO of the Cook County Department of Public Health, said that the prevalence of Covid 19 was still low in Cook County, but climbing toward moderate.  Omicron and its variants still are what are being seen, and the current vaccine (introduced in the fall of 2023) is still effective in reducing the severity of the disease if you do contract it.  Dr. Hasbrouck also stated that it appears that the more vaccines you get (as the different ones become available), the less chance you have for developing Long Covid.  It appears that there has been no significant uptick in Covid cases this year, in contrast to last year, following the holidays (with the get-togethers and travelling).
• Flu cases are at the moderate level and increasing.  RSV appears to have peaked, but seniors and young children are still at risk.
• The measles outbreak in October has been squashed.  All those who contracted measles were related to each other and were unvaccinated.

Semi-annual Reports on Behavioral Health Services Provided by Cook County Offices from June 2023 through November 2023
(Item 24-0639, State’s Attorney; 24-0595, Public Defender; 24-0578, Cook County Health; 24-0523, Chief Judge; and 24-0020, Sheriff)
Presentations included the following information:

• All detainees at the jail are screened for mental health and substance abuse and treatment is provided to over 2000 a month (42% of the jail population).
• In Aug. of 2023, Cermak received full accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and its Opioid Treatment Program also is accredited, the only one in an Illinois correctional facility and one of only a few in the U.S.
• At the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), all detainees are screened and 64% receive mental health services.  When the young people leave the facility, they are provided with a folder containing information about obtaining a wide range of services.  Commissioner Degnen stressed that the Board is receptive to increasing the budget if there is a need for more personnel to provide services.
• Commissioner Stamps wants to see the curriculum used for the Partner Abuse Intervention Programs run by the Social Service Dept under the Chief Judge to see if they are culturally relevant to those participating, who are generally ordered by a court to do so. She also noted the low number of satisfactory completions of the 25-session program:  19 out of 174 clients served.  Commissioner Deer asked for recidivism rates, which he was told were being looked at now.  Commissioner Lowry asked why the information was last obtained in 2017 and only now is being compiled again.  He was told about the administrative difficulties in getting the information from the State Police.
• The Public Defemder provides some services and referrals for clients for mental health. The office is looking to collaborate more with CCH.

Labor Committee

• CCH reported on its implementation  of the Recruitment and Retention Bonus Program that began last summer.  In order to receive the recruitment bonuses, most of the new hires have to remain employees for 1 or 2 years.    (Item 23-3804)

Observer:  Priscilla Mims